Individuals and organizations frequently make use of wireless networks to provide quick and easy network accessibility to many different devices, such as personal computers, laptops, smart phones, etc. Individuals and organizations may use wireless network connections as part of day-to-day business, including the transfer of sensitive information. While such wireless connections are frequently secured through a variety of means, such as Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) or Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), attackers may nevertheless use certain methods to circumvent or subvert such security in order to gain access to sensitive information. Furthermore, certain entities (e.g., hotels that provide guest Wi-Fi) may seek to prevent users from using an endpoint device as a “hotspot” for other devices and accordingly use a variety of methods to force specific devices off the network.
One such method of subverting wireless connection security and/or forcing a device off of a wireless network includes transmitting a deauthentication signal to a target device, thus prompting the device to disconnect from the network. Attackers seeking to subvert an otherwise secure connection may then observe network communications between the targeted device and a wireless access point in an attempt to “sniff” or record information about reconnection attempts and use that information to subvert the connection. The instant disclosure, therefore, identifies and addresses a need for systems and methods for managing wireless-network deauthentication attacks.